災害時のこころのケア

Disasters（e.g., earthquakes, floods, traffic accidents）are traumatic events that many people encounter and may cause various psychological or physical health problems. The impact of the devastating earthquake and subsequent life in an unfamiliar environment would cause psychological distress for almost all people affected by the earthquake. In some people, however, severe mental problems such as depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder（PTSD）, known risk factors for suicidal thinking, will occur and they may continue to suffer from these mental disorders for a long time. At 17：56 on October 23,2004, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the Chuetsu region of Niigata Prefecture in Japan. This Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake left more than 4,200 persons injured and 120,000 buildings completely or partially destroyed, and displaced over 100,000 people.In this symposium, I will present our findings on psychological distress in the Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake and discuss psychological supports after a devastating disaster.